THIRTY FIVE YEARS OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT FOR DRYLAND AGRICULTURE : ACHIEVEMENTS AND IMPACTS (1976 to 2012)

Not AvailableAgriculture is the backbone of Indian economy and rainfed agro-ecosystem occupies an important place in Indian agriculture, covering 68 per cent of the cultivated area (96 m.ha) supporting 40 per cent human, 60 per cent livestock population and producing 44 per cent of the food requirements thus playing a pivotal role in India’s food security. Five out of ten Agro-Climatic Zones in Karnataka were classified as dry zones covering 63 per cent of the total geographical area and 71 per cent of the net sown area, with substantial contribution to agricultural production from dry lands. About 57 per cent of food grain production in Karnataka comes from rainfed areas while, 97 per cent of total pulses and 80 per cent oilseeds were produced in dry land areas. Research on dryland agriculture in the red soil regions of Karnataka was started in 1970 with the establishment of All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture (AICRPDA) at Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra (GKVK), Bangalore,Not Availabl

Biosynthesized ZnO-NPs from Morus indica attenuates methylglyoxal-induced protein glycation and RBC damage: In-vitro, in-vivo and molecular docking study

The development of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) inhibitors is considered to have therapeutic potential in diabetic complications inhibiting the loss of the biomolecular function. In the present study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized from aqueous leaf extract of Morus indica and were characterized by various techniques such as ultraviolet (UV)-Vis spectroscopy, Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Further, the inhibition of AGEs formation after exposure to ZnO-NPs was investigated by in-vitro, in-vivo, and molecular docking studies. Biochemical and histopathological changes after exposure to ZnO-NPs were also studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. ZnO-NPs showed an absorption peak at 359 nm with a purity of 92.62% and ~6–12 nm in size, which is characteristic of nanoparticles. The images of SEM showed agglomeration of smaller ZnO-NPs and EDS authenticating that the synthesized nanoparticles were without impurities. The biosynthesized ZnO-NPs showed significant inhibition in the formation of AGEs. The particles were effective against methylglyoxal (MGO) mediated glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by inhibiting the formation of AGEs, which was dose-dependent. Further, the presence of MGO resulted in complete damage of biconcave red blood corpuscles (RBCs) to an irregular shape, whereas the morphological changes were prevented when they were treated with ZnO-NPs leading to the prevention of complications caused due to glycation. The administration of ZnO-NPs (100 mg Kg−1) in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats reversed hyperglycemia and significantly improved hepatic enzymes level and renal functionality, also the histopathological studies revealed restoration of kidney and liver damage nearer to normal conditions. Molecular docking of BSA with ZnO-NPs confirms that masking of lysine and arginine residues is one of the possible mechanisms responsible for the potent antiglycation activity of ZnO-NPs. The findings strongly suggest scope for exploring the therapeutic potential of diabetes-related complications.Fil: Anandan, Satish. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Mahadevamurthy, Murali. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Ansari, Mohammad Azam. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University; Arabia SauditaFil: Alzohairy, Mohammad A.. Al Qassim University; Arabia SauditaFil: Alomary, Mohammad N.. King Abdulaziz City For Science And Technology; Arabia SauditaFil: Siraj, Syeda Farha. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Nagaraja, Sarjan Halugudde. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Chikkamadaiah, Mahendra. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Ramachandrappa, Lakshmeesha Thimappa. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Krishnappa, Hemanth Kumar Naguvanahalli. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Ledesma, Ana Estela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet Noa Sur. Centro de Investigación en Biofísica Aplicada y Alimentos. - Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Centro de Investigación en Biofísica Aplicada y Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Nagaraj, Amruthesh Kestur. University of Mysore; IndiaFil: Urooj, Asna. University of Mysore; Indi

Personalized recurrence risk assessment following the birth of a child with a pathogenic de novo mutation

Following the diagnosis of a paediatric disorder caused by an apparently de novo mutation, a recurrence risk of 1-2% is frequently quoted due to the possibility of parental germline mosaicism; but for any specific couple, this figure is usually incorrect. We present a systematic approach to providing individualized recurrence risk. By combining locus-specific sequencing of multiple tissues to detect occult mosaicism with long-read sequencing to determine the parent-of-origin of the mutation, we show that we can stratify the majority of couples into one of seven discrete categories associated with substantially different risks to future offspring. Among 58 families with a single affected offspring (representing 59 de novo mutations in 49 genes), the recurrence risk for 35 (59%) was decreased below 0.1%, but increased owing to parental mixed mosaicism for 5 (9%)-that could be quantified in semen for paternal cases (recurrence risks of 5.6-12.1%). Implementation of this strategy offers the prospect of driving a major transformation in the practice of genetic counselling

MYT1L mutations cause intellectual disability and variable obesity by dysregulating gene expression and development of the neuroendocrine hypothalamus

Deletions at chromosome 2p25.3 are associated with a syndrome consisting of intellectual disability and obesity. The smallest region of overlap for deletions at 2p25.3 contains PXDN and MYT1L. MYT1L is expressed only within the brain in humans. We hypothesized that single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in MYT1L would cause a phenotype resembling deletion at 2p25.3. To examine this we sought MYT1L SNVs in exome sequencing data from 4, 296 parent-child trios. Further variants were identified through a genematcher-facilitated collaboration. We report 9 patients with MYT1L SNVs (4 loss of function and 5 missense). The phenotype of SNV carriers overlapped with that of 2p25.3 deletion carriers. To identify the transcriptomic consequences of MYT1L loss of function we used CRISPR-Cas9 to create a knockout cell line. Gene Ontology analysis in knockout cells demonstrated altered expression of genes that regulate gene expression and that are localized to the nucleus. These differentially expressed genes were enriched for OMIM disease ontology terms “mental retardation”. To study the developmental effects of MYT1L loss of function we created a zebrafish knockdown using morpholinos. Knockdown zebrafish manifested loss of oxytocin expression in the preoptic neuroendocrine area. This study demonstrates that MYT1L variants are associated with syndromic obesity in humans. The mechanism is related to dysregulated expression of neurodevelopmental genes and altered development of the neuroendocrine hypothalamus

Protocol for a randomised controlled trial of treatment of asymptomatic candidiasis for the prevention of preterm birth [ACTRN12610000607077]

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prevention of preterm birth remains one of the most important challenges in maternity care. We propose a randomised trial with: a simple <it>Candida </it>testing protocol that can be easily incorporated into usual antenatal care; a simple, well accepted, treatment intervention; and assessment of outcomes from validated, routinely-collected, computerised databases.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Using a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint (PROBE) study design, we aim to evaluate whether treating women with asymptomatic vaginal candidiasis early in pregnancy is effective in preventing spontaneous preterm birth. Pregnant women presenting for antenatal care <20 weeks gestation with singleton pregnancies are eligible for inclusion. The intervention is a 6-day course of clotrimazole vaginal pessaries (100 mg) and the primary outcome is spontaneous preterm birth <37 weeks gestation.</p> <p>The study protocol draws on the usual antenatal care schedule, has been pilot-tested and the intervention involves only a minor modification of current practice. Women who agree to participate will self-collect a vaginal swab and those who are culture positive for Candida will be randomised (central, telephone) to open-label treatment or usual care (screening result is not revealed, no treatment, routine antenatal care). Outcomes will be obtained from population databases.</p> <p>A sample size of 3,208 women with <it>Candida </it>colonisation (1,604 per arm) is required to detect a 40% reduction in the spontaneous preterm birth rate among women with asymptomatic candidiasis from 5.0% in the control group to 3.0% in women treated with clotrimazole (significance 0.05, power 0.8). Analyses will be by intention to treat.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>For our hypothesis, a placebo-controlled trial had major disadvantages: a placebo arm would not represent current clinical practice; knowledge of vaginal colonisation with <it>Candida </it>may change participants' behaviour; and a placebo with an alcohol preservative may have an independent affect on vaginal flora. These disadvantages can be overcome by the PROBE study design.</p> <p>This trial will provide definitive evidence on whether screening for and treating asymptomatic candidiasis in pregnancy significantly reduces the rate of spontaneous preterm birth. If it can be demonstrated that treating asymptomatic candidiasis reduces preterm births this will change current practice and would directly impact the management of every pregnant woman.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry <a href="http://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12610000607077.aspx">ACTRN12610000607077</a></p

Mycogenic Synthesis of Extracellular Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles from Xylaria acuta and Its Nanoantibiotic Potential

Purpose: The study aimed to find an effective method for fungal-mediated synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using endophytic fungal extracts and to evaluate the efficiency of synthesized ZnO NPs as antimicrobial and anticancerous agents. Methods: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were produced from zinc nitrate hexahydrate with fungal filtrate by the combustion method. The spectroscopy and microscopy techniques, such as ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED), were used to characterize the obtained product. Antibacterial activity on Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) samples was tested by broth microplate dilution technique. ZnO NPs antifungal activity was determined against plant pathogenic and regular contaminating fungi using the food-poison method. The anticancerous assay of the synthesized ZnO NPs was also investigated by cell uptake, MTT assay, and apoptosis assay. Results: The fungal synthesized ZnO NPs were pure, mainly hexagonal in shape and size range of 34-55 nm. The biosynthesized ZnO NPs could proficiently inhibit both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. ZnO NPs synthesized from fungal extract exhibited antifungal activity in a dose-dependent manner with a high percentage of mycelial inhibition. The cell uptake analysis of ZnO NPs suggests that a significant amount of ZnO NPs (1 mu g/mL) was internalized without disturbing cancer cells' morphology. As a result, the synthesized ZnO NPs showed significant anticancer activity against cancer cells at 1 mu g/mL concentration. Conclusion: This fungus-mediated synthesis of ZnO NPs is a simple, eco-friendly, and non-toxic method. Our results show that the synthesized ZnO NPs are an excellent novel antimicrobial and anticancer agent. Further studies are required to understand the mechanism of the antimicrobial, anticancerous action of ZnO NPs and their possible genotoxicity

Suitable Dryland Technologies For Karnataka(Kannada version)

Not AvailableSuitable Dryland Technologies For KarnatakaNot Availabl